Norte de Santander Department
Norte de Santander Department, Administrative department in northeastern Colombia
Description
Norte de Santander is an administrative department in northeastern Colombia that stretches from the Andes Mountains to the Venezuelan border. The department includes cities such as Cúcuta, Pamplona, and Ocaña, along with rural areas where coffee plantations and grazing lands cover the hillsides.
History
The department was created in 1910 after the division of the former Santander into two separate administrative units. The split named the northern department after Francisco de Paula Santander, a military leader from the independence era.
Culture
In villages around Pamplona, visitors can find pottery workshops where artisans use techniques from colonial times. Residents prepare dishes like cabrito and arepa ocañera that have been part of the regional cuisine for generations.
Practical
The capital city Cúcuta sits in a valley and offers connections to smaller towns in the mountain regions. Travelers should prepare for elevation changes, as some locations rise above 2,000 meters (6,560 feet).
Did you know?
The páramo highland ecosystems store water like a sponge and provide clean water to communities downstream during dry seasons. Hikers can see frailejones, rare plants with thick leaves that grow only at these Andean elevations.
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Páramo de Santurbán
84.6 km
Simón Bolívar International Bridge
52.6 km
Los Estoraques Unique Natural Area
40.9 km
Estadio Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo
79.8 km
Atanasio Girardot International Bridge
50 km
Chorro El Indio National Park
83.9 km
Provincial Viaduct
104.7 km
El Tamá National Park
93.3 km
Francisco de Paula Santander International Bridge
47.7 kmHospital Central de San Cristóbal
78 kmTamá National Natural Park
112.9 km
Catatumbo Barí National Natural Park
115.6 km
Historic church of Cúcuta
50.9 km
Cúcuta City Hall
44.3 km
Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation, Táriba
75.7 km
Cathedral of Cúcuta
44.3 km
Provincia de Ocaña
56.8 km
Cathedral of St. Christopher
76.7 km
Estadio Álvaro Gómez Hurtado
109.6 km
House of Santander
50.7 km
Puente Libertador
75.4 km
Coliseo Bicentenario
101.1 kmRío Viejo San Camilo National Park
106.9 km
Julio Pérez Ferrero Public Library
44.7 km
Gobernación de Norte de Santander
44.5 km
Parque del Agua (Ecoparque Cúcuta)
45.5 km
Santander Park
44.2 kmAbra de Río Frío Natural Monument
78.6 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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